An IIT student-built electric car representing some 5,000 hours of labor won several distinctive honors at the annual Formula Hybrid™ International Competition, held this year from April 30–May 3 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH.

IIT’s entry won second place overall in evaluation of the electric racing car and second place for the Ford Efficiency Award, granted to the vehicle judged best able to get maximum running results from a minimum amount of fuel or electric energy. The car also placed among the top six entries contending for the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Engineering the Future Award and Excellence in EV Engineering Award. Additionally, IIT scored some firsts in the judging categories that contributed to these results.

Formula Hybrid™ is intended to foster creative solutions by university-level students to problems in energy efficiency and related vehicle design for hybrid and electric formula racing cars. Eleven IIT SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) International Chapter members went to the competition, which is hosted by Dartmouth College Thayer School of Engineering, the IEEE, and SAE International. This was the first year for the “Electric Only” class.

Get behind the wheel of IIT’s electric car in the acceleration and autocross events: